Mini Countryman D, SsangYong Rodius Top 2017 DOE-Petron Eco Run

The Department of Energy (DOE), together with Petron Corporation, recently staged the 2017 DOE-Petron Eco Run yesterday on November 21 and the two best performing vehicles were the Mini Countryman D and the SsangYong Rodius as both models were the only ones to breach the 30 kilometer per liter fuel consumption mileage mark.

A total of 52 vehicles joined this year's run, with the number equally split between the gasoline-fueled ones and the diesel-powered vehicles. In addition, a lone hybrid vehicle--a fourth-generation Toyota Prius--was fielded by the DOE itself.

This year's run followed the same route as the one held in May 2016, starting from the Petron service station along Manuel A. Roxas Highway in the Clark Freeport Zone in Angeles City, Pampanga, through the SCTEX (Subic-Clark- Tarlac Expressway) and the TPLEX (Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway) before turning around at the Binalonan Exit and then back to the Petron station, in a controlled run with speeds at 80 kph to approximate standard driving conditions. Upon reaching the station, all the vehicles were then topped up to determine how many liters of fuel were consumed based from when the vehicles were last topped up a few hours before the Eco Run was held. At a ceremony later in the day, representatives from the different car brands that participated in the Eco Run were given a plaque of appreciation and a certification from the DOE, the Coalition of Clean Air Advocates of the Philippines, and the Automobile Association of the Philippines that stated their respective vehicles' Fuel Economy Rating. Topping all the vehicles that participated in the Eco Run was the SsangYong Rodius with a fuel consumption mileage of 33.12 km/L followed by the Mini Countryman D at 30.64 km/L. Incidentally, both vehicles are powered by diesel engines. For the gasoline-fed machines, the Kia Picanto led everyone else at 29.23 km/L, topping even the hybrid Toyota Prius which was certified at 26.13 km/L. Both the DOE and Petron promised that it would release a complete list of all the cars that participated in the 2017 DOE-Petron Eco Run along with their respective fuel consumption ratings which we will publish as soon as we receive it. DOE Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella also stated that his office is looking at including motorcycles in the future stagings of the Eco Run as well as doing it in traffic to really give the public a true sampling of a car's fuel consumption mileage.